Every year, Halloween seems to drift further from its roots.
Once meant to honor the eve of All Saints’ Day, All Hallows’ Eve has drifted into a celebration of fear, darkness, and in too many cases, outright evil.
For many, it’s a night of costumes and candy. But for others, it’s something more sinister—a night when witchcraft, curses, and the demonic are celebrated as “festive Halloween fun.”
As Catholics, our response to this kind of darkness is light.
This past Friday night, as Halloween festivities unfolded, Catholic communities across the country brought the light of Christ into the darkness.
While people went door-to-door searching for tricks or treats, these Catholics offered something far greater—a third option that satisfies a deeper hunger: an encounter with Christ Himself.
St. Mary Parish in Ridgefield, Connecticut
St. Mary’s sits in the heart of a busy trick-or-treating neighborhood, so this year the parish decided not to close its doors after the Vigil of All Saints.
Pastor Msgr. Kevin Royal, together with parochial vicars Father Justin Raj and Father Colin Lomnitzer, moved the monstrance to the main altar and left the church open for anyone passing by.
Many stopped to pray, including groups of children who knelt beside their parents in quiet moments of adoration. One large group of children even joined together to sing the Salve Regina.
Three girls dressed as Alvin and the Chipmunks stopped by asking for candy, and one of the priests told them they could instead offer a prayer to Jesus—“who is better than candy.” They laughed, then stepped inside and lit a candle before the Sacred Heart.
Father Colin Lomnitzer shared that the words of Saint John Paul II echoed in his mind:
“Be not afraid. Open wide the doors to Christ.”
St. Mary Parish embodied that call, letting the light of Christ spill out into the streets of Ridgefield.
St. Michael Center for Spiritual Renewal
The St. Michael Center for Spiritual Renewal turned Halloween night into a global prayer vigil.
From 11 p.m. to midnight, thousands joined Msgr. Stephen Rossetti, chief exorcist for the Archdiocese of Washington, online for a Holy Hour to reclaim All Hallows’ Eve for its true purpose—to honor the saints and call down God’s protection.
Msgr. Rossetti reminded participants that while the occult treats Halloween as a feast for evil, the Church sees it as the night before heaven’s triumph. It was a powerful witness that prayer, especially Eucharistic adoration, is the greatest weapon against the darkness that pretends to rule the night.
Holy Family Parish in Fresh Meadows, New York
Meanwhile, in Brooklyn, New York, Holy Family Parish—led by Pastor Father Sean M. Suckiel—offered something extraordinary: a night prayer service (Compline) paired with the veneration of more than 250 relics of the saints.
It was a living image of what Halloween was meant to be—a night preparing us to celebrate the family of God now gathered in the presence of the Almighty.
As people left, they weren’t thinking about ghosts or goblins. They were thinking about the saints and the eternal call to holiness that awaits each of us.
John 1:5 reminds us:
“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”
As the world dressed for darkness, the Church stood bright with the light of Christ. Even the faintest spark of His radiance is enough to pierce the shadow of night.